


left my shoes in the street (so you'd carry me)

by its_tortle



Series: tumblr drabbles and ficlets [8]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Bucky Barnes Recovering, Carrying, Ficlet, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Hurt Bucky Barnes, M/M, Mentions of Taylor Swift, Minor Injuries, Originally Posted on Tumblr, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Pre-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Protective Steve Rogers, Tumblr Prompt, Wakanda (Marvel), because of course there are, except.. barely, it's just fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-16
Updated: 2020-11-16
Packaged: 2021-03-10 05:36:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27588257
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/its_tortle/pseuds/its_tortle
Summary: written based on the prompt "Do I need to carry you?" for the lovelybee<3
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes/Steve Rogers
Series: tumblr drabbles and ficlets [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1951201
Comments: 12
Kudos: 73





	left my shoes in the street (so you'd carry me)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [buckybees](https://archiveofourown.org/users/buckybees/gifts).



> this is far from my best work, but it's fluffy so here you go.
> 
> original post [here](https://its-tortle.tumblr.com/post/634929865247866880/oof-those-prompts-were-so-hard-to-choose-from) <3
> 
> title from clementine by halsey

With all the impressive Wakandan technology, Steve really wonders why it’s taking the damn waffle iron so long to heat up. He’d turned it on almost ten minutes ago, and it was still apparently not hot enough for the dough he had just so carefully made from scratch. 

He had really been hoping to surprise Bucky when he came back in, but at this rate the waffles would remain liquid all morning.

Maybe it’s not a Wakandan waffle iron, Steve begins to think. Really, what does he know about different types of waffle irons anyway?

Humming a melody under his breath, he begins to gather some of the dishes accumulated by just making the dough and cleans them as he waits. 

Steve doesn’t realize he’s humming a goddamn Taylor Swift song until he’s already half-way through it, and then he’s almost too into it to care. It’s Shuri’s fault, anyway.

Just as the beep of the waffle iron interrupts his off-key rendition of the bridge in Style and Steve thinks he can finally start making the waffles, a shout rings through the open doorway of the hut.

Bucky.

Suddenly in a panic, Steve drops the measuring spoon he was washing and makes a grab for one of the knives from the counter. 

Captain America face on, he leaves the hut and scans the area for Bucky, for a threat. He doesn't find one.

Instead, he lets out a long, relieved breath at finding Bucky all in one piece. Surrounded by the golden light of the morning sun, Bucky is in the field with his goats gathered around him, giving them their morning feed.

But then Steve frowns again, because the feed is on the ground and Bucky is inaudibly swearing at some of the goats.

“You okay, Buck?”, Steve calls.

Bucky looks up, his face still screwed in a little bit of pain and a whole lot of frustration. Then, though, his face breaks out into a grin, and the sound of his laughter rings out over the field. 

“What?”

“Sorry.” Bucky lets out one last chuckle. “It’s just- You do realize you’re not dressed right? You look fucking hilarious.”

And indeed, Steve is suddenly reminded of the fact that he is still in sleep-shorts and socks and nothing else. The large knife is still clutched in his fist and he’s a fighting stance. 

“I heard you shout,” he explains dumbly. He drops the tension in his muscles.

“Yeah, sorry. I’m fine.”

Bucky looks back down at the feed on the ground and the now dispersing goats with renewed annoyance. He picks up the bucket and takes a step toward Steve only to wince and falter, stopping in his tracks.

Unbidden, the tension returns to Steve’s shoulders as he drops the knife and strides to Bucky. “What happened?”

Bucky swears. “Gladys doesn't know how to be patient for once and crowded me onto the Kenkiliba stumps. They’re damn sharp and cut right through my heel.”

He tries to take another step, flinches again. Steve reaches out to carry some of his weight.

“ ‘S Gladys the grey one?”

“Yeah,” Bucky huffs. “She’s a bitch.”

And then, despite his worry for Bucky, the hilarity of the situation catches up with Steve and he can’t help the smile on his face. “I bet.”

Having heard the amusement in Steve’s voice, Bucky looks up with an almost scandalized expression. “You think this is funny?”

Steve schools his face into a somber frown. “Oh no, not at all. Can you walk? _Do I need to carry you?_ “

Bucky lets the smile Steve could see bubbling beneath the surface rise up through his skin and materialize in the form of a wide grin and a belting laugh. “Fuck _off_ ,” he says, but there’s no bite behind it.

Steve takes the bucket of feed from Bucky’s hand and offers his shoulder for support. With only a short tick of hesitation, Bucky accepts Steve’s help and loops his arm around his shoulder.

Steve wraps his arm around Bucky’s waist to steady him, trying his best to ignore how pleasant Bucky feels against his side and how he’s leaning his weight against his bare skin.

This really isn’t the time for his schoolgirl crush.

But then Bucky swears as they pass another clutter of Kenkiliba stumps and Steve’s schoolgirl crush takes over completely.

Without even asking a second time, and completely ignoring that he was turned down the first time, Steve leans over and, in a move so swift and easy that it still surprises himself a bit, scoops Bucky up in his arms.

While the serum must have fixed his heart murmur, he _knows_ it did, Steve could swear that his heart skips a few beats at the feel of Bucky in his arms, safe and warm and sheltered from harm. This is right where he wants him.

He holds him against his chest, shifts once to secure his grip, and then begins walking both of them toward the hut. He’s still holding the bucket of feed in his left hand, but his arm is holding up Bucky’s legs.

The brunet lets out something between a groan and a laugh. “Seriously? Christ, Stevie, you’re so fucking dramatic.”

Steve huffs. “And that’s coming from the guy who stepped on something sharp and yelled so loud I came running out with a carving knife.”

“I hate you.”

But the way Bucky settles into Steve’s grip kind of negates every syllable of it.

Even when the reach even ground approaching the hut, Steve doesn’t let Bucky down and instead carries him all the way to the living area.

He sets him down on the sofa, and Bucky shakes his head with an incredulous grin. The glint in his eyes is nothing short of teasing.

Steve ignores it and goes to the pantry in the bathroom to retrieve a box of bandaids. A look at the packaging reveals that they’re Avengers themed, because of course they are. He blames Shuri, again.

Back in the living room, Bucky remains silent as Steve disinfects the cut on Bucky’s right heel with some spray and fishes the band-aids out of his pockets. His lips are pursed like he has a million things to say, but he seems to want to spare Steve for now.

He does voice his opinions on the band-aids though, and asks for a Black Widow one.

“You don’t want a Captain America one?”, Steve asks with a fake pout.

Bucky laughs. “Nah. I’ve got about enough of that guy.”

And then Steve’s fake annoyance falls away into a smile and he carefully places a Black Widow themed band-aid on the already healing cut.

He pats it down gently. “There, all better.”

Upon looking up at Bucky, Steve finds the gaze directed at him filled with a range of emotions he doesn’t feel equipped to untangle. There’s some mirth, some humor, some warmth, and some disbelief.

“You don’t need to baby me, Stevie,” Bucky utters. His voice is almost small, almost ashamed. “I can take care of myself.”

Steve musters him for a moment, then just smiles. “I know. Consider it returning the favor about 90 years too late.”

Bucky smiles, and Steve goes to make waffles.

**Author's Note:**

> comments and kudos are as always dearly appreciated <3


End file.
